The Forest of Silva
by TrueKelpa
Summary: After Arthur and Merlin met a strange girl in a forest outside Camelot's border, they thought that they would never see her again. However, when she returns into Camelot itself, she brings a grave warning. O/C.
1. Silva

"Arthur" Called Merlin. Arthur didn't bother turning around.

"What, Merlin?" He sighed. They were on a 'run through', an event that took place once every three years, where the Prince called on all the outlying villages, to meet his subjects.

"Well, I was just wondering... shouldn't we have left Camelot with a few more knights?"

"What sort of message would that send to the people, Merlin? We're here to meet then, not intimidate them."

"All the same..." Merlin mumbled glancing at the empty countryside around them. "One or two might be nice."

"Merlin" growled Arthur, stopping his horse and turning to face his manservant. "What exactly do you expect will happen which will require a contingent of knights to help us?" He snapped. Merlin's eyes widened.

"Bandits!" he gasped. The Prince rolled his eyes.

"Merlin, I think I could handle one or two-"

"No!" Said Merlin, pointing. "Bandits!" Arthur followed the direction of his finger, and his mouth dropped open.

"Ah" he breathed. Thirty masked men on horseback were riding towards them, weapons glinting in the sun. "Run!" he cried, and pushed his horse to a full out gallop. Merlin followed close behind. He may be useless on two feet, but the man could at least ride well.

The men pursued them for a long time, through valleys and dense thickets of grass which threatened to trip the horses. Eventually, they drove the animals into a dense forest, weaving between the trees in an attempt to lose their pursuers. To their dismay, however, they broke into a wide, long clearing, surrounded by trees too thick to penetrate. They stopped at the end of the clearing, the horses gasping for breath, and Arthur pulled his sword. Behind him, Merlin silently prepared himself too, feeling magic surging through his veins, ready to fight. The men burst through the trees, not bothering to dismount, and sped towards them in a blur of steel blades.

"Stop" Called a voice. It was not a shout, but it was spoken with such power that it was heard even over the battle cries of the men. The charging horses froze, causing some of their riders to topple forwards with the momentum. A young woman stepped through the trees, wearing a simple white dress. Her hair was loose, and jet black, trailing down her back. Her eyes were a piercing gold, and they were fixed on the bandits, narrowed in anger. Merlin's senses murmured a warning. _Magic, _they whispered. _She has magic._

"There will be no blood spilt on my territory unless I am the one spilling it." She said to the thugs, in the same quiet, powerful voice. "Do I make myself clear?"

The lead man pulled off his mask and stepped towards her, sword ready, a smirk on his face.

"And how do you intend to stop us?" he sneered. The girl looked at him coolly.

"This is your only warning." She said calmly. The man's smile broadened, and he raised his sword. The girl shook her head sadly, and took a step forwards. The weapon flashed down to greet her, and Merlin winced, but the blow never came, because somehow, the sword had disappeared, and then it was suddenly in the girl's hand. She threw it over her shoulder casually, and it hit the centre of a nearby tree, point first, quivering. The man growled and ran forwards, fists held high. She stepped to the side, causing him to skid to a halt in front of a large oak tree. She stalked towards him, and he froze, it seemed, in fear. But Merlin could tell that it was magic that stopped his movements.

"Wrong decision" said the girl simply, stopping in front of him. Her arm flashed outwards in a blur, and suddenly the man's face was dripping blood. "Consider yourself lucky that I am in a good mood" she told him sweetly. "I will assume that you do not realise where you are, and that your insolence is a product of your ignorance." He merely stared at her, confused and shocked. She sighed impatiently. "This is the forest of _Silva_, and I am _Veneficus._" She hissed. The man flinched as far as the magical binding would let him, and the other bandits began backing away, clambering back up onto their horses and trying to coax them into movement. But the horses stayed still until the girl glanced back towards them. She flicked her fingers absentmindedly, and they bolted. At the same moment, Merlin felt the binding loosen, and the man slid to the ground, before scrambling up and running towards the remaining horse. He sped from the clearing in a cloud of dust.

***Please reveiw. I will update as soon as I get 5 reveiws! Thankyou***


	2. Veneficus

***Ok, so, here is chapter 2. Sorry for the long break between chapters, mum confiscated my laptop. Anyway, I suppose 5 reveiws was a bit ambitious, so I'll just post as often as I can now. But please reveiw anyway! Thankyou!***

"Well that was fun" said the girl, and her tone no longer rang with power. She turned to Arthur and Merlin, both of whom were staring at her. Her eyes flitted to the symbols on the Prince's tunic, and she sighed. "Pendragon" she muttered to herself. Arthur's eyes narrowed.

"Who are you?" He asked, suspicion colouring his tone. She grinned.

"My name is Aldora, Majesty" she said, inclining her head slightly. "And if I may offer some advice?" she asked. Arthur's frown deepened.

"What advice could you offer me? You are a sorceress." He growled, his sword still tight in his hand. Despite this, the girl looked simply irritated.

"I must say I'm offended. I am not a _Teneo_. And even if I was, I would not be a sorceress." She scowled, but the trace of a smile lingered at the corners of her mouth.

"You have magic. Do you deny it?" asked Arthur angrily. The girl sighed.

"I didn't say I denied it. I said I was not a sorceress." She explained. "Besides, I broke no law"

"Magic is banned in Camelot!" Cried the Prince. Aldora nodded.

"Then it is extremely lucky that I am not in Camelot, is it not?" she said calmly. Arthur came up short.

"What?"

"This is the _Silva._" She said, gesturing to the trees around them. "Neutral territory. It isn't ruled by anyone. You'll find lots of magic users here. They all came during the Great Purge, the ones who didn't want to be a part of Senred's kingdom. This place has a magic all its own." She said fondly, glancing at the woodland surrounding them. Then she turned back to Arthur. "That relates to the advice I mentioned. Many of the people here lost family to Uther, and would wish to pay him back in kind. This is not a safe place for the Prince of Camelot."

"Are you one of those people?" asked Arthur uneasily. She smiled.

"No. I lost my family to someone else." She said, and for a moment her tone was filled with bitterness. She composed herself quickly, however, and turned to Merlin. Her eyes locked on his, and he knew that she recognized what he was. "Who are you?" she asked, and for a moment Merlin could have sworn that she sounded scared. But then her face smoothed out, calm once more. He opened his mouth to answer, but Arthur beat him to it.

"That's Merlin." He said. Merlin shot him a resentful glance, and Arthur raised his eyebrows at him. Aldora watched the exchange with interest, a small smile on her lips. Merlin suddenly heard a voice in his mind. Her voice.

_Emris._

"Yes." He answered automatically. Arthur seemed to think that Merlin was confirming his comment, and rolled his eyes.

"So if you aren't a... what did you call it?" asked Arthur

"_Teneo_" She supplied.

"Yes. If you aren't a _Teneo_ then what are you? And what is a _Teneo_?" he continued. The girl laughed.

"I never thought I'd be answering a Pendragon's questions on magic" she muttered to herself, then continued. "I suppose you could call it a rank. A magical rank. Starting at the bottom, there are _Bellua Magus_. They are creatures like trolls, or gargoyles. They have some magic, but they are not exactly a threat to anyone. Then there are the _Alia Magus_, which are more powerful. Like the She, gryphons, goblins, you know. They can be dangerous to ordinary humans. After that, you get the _Sapio Magus_, that's seers and prophets, etcetera. Then come the _Teneo Magus_. They are your conventional witches or warlocks, or in some cases, sorceresses and sorcerers." She finished. She seemed amused at the shocked faces of Arthur and Merlin. "What? Did you expect to need to torture it out of me?" she laughed.

"Then which are you?" asked Merlin quietly.

_Do you mean, which are _you,_ Emris? _She asked him. He nodded, very slightly.

"_Veneficus_ are the top rank. Creatures like me, along with dragons and Dragon Lords are _Veneficus_." She said. "Very powerful" she added quietly, the hint of a warning in her voice, her face grave. After a moment, she smiled again. "Luckily for you, we are pretty rare" she said, turning back to Arthur. Her eyes drifted towards their horses, which were still panting. "Poor things" she said, walking towards them. She placed her palm against the side of one animal's neck. "They're exhausted" she told Arthur, her tone scolding, as if she was telling off a child. She stroked the neck of Arthur's horse and made a clucking noise. It turned its head towards her slowly, and nudged her side. "Poor thing" she repeated.

Arthur was extremely confused. He had just met a creature of magic, who had saved him. She had answered his questions willingly, and she was now worried about a horse! Like a good person. But magic was evil, wasn't it? Did it not corrupt anyone who wielded it? Did it not taint their view of the world? Suddenly he wasn't so sure.


	3. Vanessa

***Hi there! So, here is chapter 3. Thank you to eveyone who reveiwed! Also, in answer to Shona McEvoy: Not really sure at the moment, it wasn't in the plans for this story, but the storyline seems to be heading in that direction, so you never know! Thank you all for reading! Enjoy!***

It was dark. Despite the girl's – Aldora's – warning, they had decided to stay in the forest, to let their horses rest. There was no way that they could make the journey out of the forest again. Aldora had offered to heal them, but Arthur's eyes had narrowed as soon as magic had been mentioned. Merlin sighed quietly, staring into the trees. He was pretending to be asleep. Arthur was on guard. Despite ignoring Aldora's urging to leave the forest, he had, at her request, taken down the royal standard of Camelot. That was probably a good idea. Merlin didn't doubt that many of the people affected by the Great Purge would not hesitate to kill Arthur. He himself felt bitter towards Uther's prejudices on magic, and he hadn't really been affected by them. Certainly not as much as the forest dwellers had been.

He remembered his first day in Camelot. The shock of the execution, the crowd baying for blood. Would that happen to him? He wanted to believe that Arthur was different to his father, a better man. If he found out about... surely he wouldn't... but still. He sighed again, more loudly than he had meant to. That was when he realised that Arthur had been a little too still, his breathing a little too deep. He rolled over, and sure enough, the Crown Prince of Camelot was lying on his side, mouth open, fast asleep. _Some guard_, he thought to himself.

He sat up, wrapping his arms around his knees and staring around. There was no chance that he would be able to sleep anyway, with Arthur in danger. He watched the shadows shifting in the darkness, alert to any unnatural movement. He obviously needed practice, because a moment later, a figure ghosted through the trees, eyes fixed on Arthur's sleeping profile. He stood up, accidentally waking Arthur with the movement. He cursed internally. He couldn't use magic to fend off any possible attacks with Arthur awake. The Prince leaped up, sword in hand, instantly ready for battle.

"Who's there?" he called. A beautiful woman stepped into the glow of the embers from their dying fire. Her hair was platinum white, and she wore a dress far too short to be appropriate. Her golden eyes lit up as she surveyed them.

"A knight!" she cooed delightedly. She had a harsh voice, and his voice grated as if she was thirsty. "A Camelot Knight, oh goodie" she beamed, and Merlin glimpsed sharp teeth. She took a step towards Arthur, who seemed entranced. She let out a small sound of pleasure. "I love knights" she whispered, and the word 'love' was drawn out in a harsh purr. "Such bravery, and adrenalin, oh!" she tilted her head back slightly. She reached out a hand and trailed a finger down Arthur's jaw. His breathing hitched, but he was caught in her stare. She grinned evilly, and Merlin snapped out of whatever daze had held him.

"Leave him alone!" he cried, and the woman turned abruptly. Arthur stayed frozen, but his eyes were locked on Merlin. The woman surveyed him for a moment, looking him over. He met her gaze fiercely, trying not to be pulled into the golden depths of her eyes. She took a step towards him.

"Aaah" she breathed. "I hope you do not wish to scare me" she whispered. He shivered at the malice in her voice. "I know what you are" she breathed, "But you do not. Not really" she began to circle him, a predator and her prey. "Do you hope to challenge me?" she asked, adding a harsh laugh. And then a voice came from the trees.

"No, he does not. But I do."

Aldora was there, and she looked furious. Her hair whipped around her face, and her anger and ferocity made the other woman look like a weak imitation. Her eyes were wide, and burning gold. Her skin glowed with barely suppressed magic. She looked anything but human. She looked... impossibly powerful.

She took a step towards the other woman, who seemed to have lost her composure. She raised her hands in surrender, but Aldora shook her head.

"Enough of your games, Vanessa!" She hissed.

"Why bother?" Said Vanessa, regaining her cool. She glanced at Arthur, who was still rooted to the spot. "They are hardly worth your notice, Aldora, high and mighty as you are" she sneered.

"Leave" murmured Aldora through a haze of barely controlled anger. Vanessa pretended not to hear her.

"I am sure my new friends will be pleased to hear of you" she purred. "They have not heard from you in so long, many thought you were dead!" she laughed humourlessly. "I am sure they will be delighted when I tell them otherwise" she whispered. Something akin to fear flickered through the magic in Aldora's eyes, and she snarled.

"Damien" she spat. "You... you..." she stuttered, unable to form coherent words through her fury. Vanessa smiled indulgently, enjoying herself. She was evidently unaware of the danger she was in, but Merlin had felt magic beginning to build in the air, like the static before the first flash of lightning in a storm.

***Ok, so the next chapter is a beast because it is so long, so it may take me a little while to post again - just a warning. Anyway, I posted this early so you have something to read in the meantime. Bye!***


	4. Know your enemy

***The good news: I wrote faster than I thought I would, so here is Chapter 4, in time for the weekined. YAY! The bad news: Not sure if i'm gonna be able to update much, or even at all, over xmas. Gonna be busy with all those presents ;) But I may not be able to get on the computer much, so prepare yourselves!***

There was a flash of golden light. Merlin shielded his eyes, but could not block the scream from his ears. A scream of terror, shock, fury. He felt raw power crackle along his skin, and the strength of it took his breath away. Aldora had not been lying when she had said she was powerful. Very powerful.

After a moment, the light faded away, and Merlin lowered his arm slowly, expecting to see charred remains. But instead, Vanessa was fine, and whole, and cowering before Aldora.

"Who are you?" she stammered.

"My name is – Crystal" said Aldora after a slight hesitation "And you are on my land"

"So sorry, my lady!" gasped Vanessa.

"Tell me" murmured Aldora softly, though there was tension in her jaw "Does the name 'Damien' mean anything to you?" She stayed still, and her face betrayed nothing as she waited for the reply.

"No, my lady" said Vanessa sincerely. Aldora relaxed, visibly.

"Good. Leave, now." She said quietly, and the woman scampered away, eager to escape. After a moment, Arthur broke the silence.

"What on earth just happened?" he cried. Aldora laughed.

"It seems that I can't leave you alone for a second, can I?" she grinned. Arthur just looked at her. She raised her eyebrows.

"Who... what... was she?" Merlin asked. She turned to him, her face serious.

"Would you believe me if I said I didn't know?" she asked. He shook his head, and she sighed. "You do realise that it's safer for you not to know"

"It usually is" said Arthur.

"But that doesn't normally stop us" added Merlin. She shook her head in resignation.

"Nosferatu. Vampire. Basically... death." She said slowly. "They're classed as _Veneficus_, but they practice a whole different kind of magic."

"What kind?" asked Arthur carefully.

"_Cruor Nex_" She intoned. "Blood magic. You were lucky. Vanessa couldn't do anything major, because she was weak. She hadn't had blood for a while. It was all she could do to freeze you" she glanced at Arthur. "If she had been at full strength, we would have had quite a fight."

"What do you mean? Why hadn't she 'had blood'?" Asked Merlin, to break the uncomfortable silence. Aldora looked at him.

"I've already said it. I won't have any blood spilled on my territory." She said.

"Unless you are the one spilling it" quoted Arthur quietly. She smiled wryly.

"You've been paying attention" she said in mock approval.

"Know your enemy" he said steadily.

"I'm sorry" she said, fighting to keep her tone light. "Would you like me to call back Vanessa so you can get to know her a little better?" Arthur flinched. She was reminding him that he owed her. And he did. Aldora sighed. "You need to remember that not all magic is evil. The day may come when you have to choose between what you have been taught, and what is right." Her eyes flickered to Merlin's, and he met her gaze. Arthur didn't notice. "And perhaps sooner than you think" she whispered, her eyes still locked on Merlin's. He looked away.

"Why couldn't she remember you?" asked Merlin, cautious.

"It was... necessary." She murmured. "I can't have Damien knowing that I'm still alive."

"Who is Damien?"

"A monster." She replied quietly. The wind that whipped around them seemed to become icy cold as she stared out at the forest, absorbed in memories of the life she had lost. "A monster from the past." Her eyes grew troubled, and shone in the light from the fire. Merlin remembered what she had said earlier. _I lost my family to someone else._ Had she been talking about Damien?

_Perceptive, Emris._ She whispered inside his head. _And also correct. I am no danger to your Prince._

_I never said you were. _He thought back.

_True. I just thought I would clarify matters. _Her mouth twitched slightly.

Arthur stared into the fire, confused. This girl, this creature of magic – it was the second time she had saved his life! Why? Did she expect a reward? He doubted that his father would send a reward here, even if he knew this place existed. Certainly not to a magic user. So what did she want? Surely if she had wanted to kill them herself she would have done so. He knew what Merlin would say if he asked these questions aloud. _Maybe she is just trying to help._ _Maybe she isn't evil._ But she practiced magic! Magic was wrong, surely! He had always been taught that it corrupted the soul of its user. _The day may come when you have to choose between what you have been taught, and what is right. _No, that couldn't be true. Had he been fed lies? Was magic not evil? Could it, in fact, be used for good? He shook his head, trying to shake the seeds of doubt in his mind.

"Arthur? Are you ok?" asked Merlin, concerned.

"Magic is wrong" he said through gritted teeth, though it sounded like he was trying to convince himself. Merlin jerked back from him, looking suddenly fearful. He wondered if it was because of the expression on his face, because something akin to panic flickered in his friend's eyes. He looked away, and so didn't see as Merlin turned his worried eyes towards Aldora for a moment, and she shook her head calmly. Merlin relaxed, but tension stayed in his muscles.

"Arthur" said Aldora, matter-of-factly. "What is your sword?" Arthur looked at her, confused.

"It's a weapon..." he said slowly.

"And is your sword evil?" she asked patiently. Arthur shook his head, unsure where this was going.

"No."

"Good. Now, if one of your knights killed an innocent man with his sword, who would you punish? The weapon or its wielder?"

Arthur suddenly realised what she was getting at. "It's hardly the same-" he began, but Aldora cut him off.

"It's close enough. But you're right, there is one big difference. Your knights are given training, they are selected for their integrity and trustworthiness. But if a hundred men spread throughout the land were given a sword, randomly? Some would use it merely to defend themselves if they needed to. Some would not use it at all. And a very few would misuse it." She stared at him, willing him to understand. "Magic is a powerful tool, but it does not force its user to do anything. Misuse is the fault of the bearer, not of every single person with the same tool."

Arthur digested this for a moment, thinking. Then he said

"If that is the case, how is it that every magic user I have ever come across has meant me harm?"

"Because" she sighed, as if stating the obvious "You live in _Camelot_. Any good warlock with half a brain would stay far away from there." Her eyes flickered quickly to Merlin, sparkling with humour. He grinned. "The reason you only ever meet the bad ones is that the bad ones are the only ones with any reason to reveal themselves" she shrugged.

"Except for that last bit, that kind of makes sense" muttered Merlin. She rolled her eyes, and Arthur shot him a look that said _Shut up_.

The Prince shook his head again, not in denial, but in confusion.

"If that is true, then what exactly does my father have against them?" he asked, looking at Aldora. Merlin tensed, wondering if she knew about Arthur's mother, Igraine.

"I'm not sure..." she said, unconvincingly. She looked away, and Arthur frowned, sensing the deception. She sighed loudly. "The King had a... bad experience" she said carefully "Involving magic. It caused him to believe that magic is evil." She looked back at Arthur. "And that is why I don't hate him. Even though I have reason to. He thought he was doing the right thing."

_And Damien knew he was doing wrong. _She added, in Merlin's mind.

"But he allowed himself to be blinded" she continued "to the point where, now, nothing will change his mind" She lifted her gaze to meet the Prince's, steadily. "I just hope that the next generation is a little more open minded." She finished

***So there you go! Ok, I said a short while ago that chapter 5 is going to be short, but I hated it so much that I merged it with chapter 6, to make a very long chapter,so yay. Also I may disappear for a while, but don't give up on me! Please reveiw over the holidays, and have a great Christmas, all of you.***


	5. Saved by the bell

***This is how much I love you guys! As an early christmas present, I extended this chapter from painfully short to kind of long! Hooray! However, I feel inclined to tell you that I am inherantly evil, so I'm leaving you on a cliffhanger... mwahahahaha! Enjoy!***

They trudged through the fields, heading back home. The horses, though well rested, had seemed reluctant to leave the forest, but Arthur had been impatient to escape. When they eventually left the cover of the trees, he had sighed, and relaxed visibly. Merlin expected him to immediately go on a rant about the evils of magic, but he stayed silent. Wary, perhaps? No, judging from the expression on his face, he was thinking, and thinking hard. He could guess what it was he was thinking about.

Arthur was... confused. There was no other way to put it, but the word did not seem strong enough to encompass the complete... confusion... churning through his mind. He had always known that magic was wrong. It was a fact of life. Or so he had thought. But the girl had made a good case. There was no reason for good witches or warlocks to come to Camelot. But there was reason for the bad. It was clearer, now. The girl had not pretended that magic was harmless, as some might have. There _were _evil magic users, and she had not disputed that. But were they among the minority? He couldn't find the arguments anymore.

"Merlin?" he asked slowly. He wondered if his manservant would think he had lost his mind, if he told him what was going on inside his head.

"Arthur?"

"What – what did you think about all – all that?" he waved his arm in the direction they had come, indicating the discussions from last night. Merlin looked at him, thinking.

"I think" he said slowly, watching the Prince's reaction, "that she had a point." Arthur nodded.

"So I'm not going mad?"

"You agree?" Merlin sounded startled. He hadn't expected-

"No!" Arthur snapped. "No, I don't _agree_, I just..." he trailed off, unable to put his feelings into words. "It just made me question a few things, that's all."

"What things?" Asked Merlin, a little too eagerly. Arthur shot him a strange look.

"I mean – I know it could all be lies, but it made sense... and maybe she was right." He sighed. Then a new thought occurred to him. "Have I been enchanted?" he asked, only half joking.

"No, not even magic could penetrate your skull" said Merlin, offhandedly, and then "Hey!" as Arthur threw his pack at him. He ducked, and it missed. "I'm not picking that up!" he said indignantly. Arthur stopped his horse, and glared at him. He doubled back, and picked it up, grumbling.

"Idiot" said Arthur as Merlin handed it back.

"Dollophead" he shot back.

"That's not even a word, Merlin"

"It's my word"

"Ah, that explains why it's stupid."

"My word is not stupid!"

"It is"

"Is not"

"Don't argue with me, Merlin."

"You started it"

"Merlin!"

They continued bickering for the rest of the journey home, but it had the desired effect. Arthur forgot all about being enchanted, and they were both in a good mood by the time they reached the castle. At the gates, Arthur turned back to Merlin for a second.

"Don't mention the – incident – to anyone, Merlin. Understand?" he said, in hushed tones.

Merlin's eyebrows rose, but he shrugged and said "What incident?" Arthur grinned and clapped him on the back, almost making him loose his balance and fall over. He stumbled up the steps and up to the physician's chambers.

When he opened the door, Gwen was standing in the room, waiting for a sleeping draught for Morgana. She turned as he entered, and smiled widely.

"You're back" she cried. Merlin grinned back, knowing that it was the prospect of Arthur's return, rather than his own, that made her smile.

"Merlin" said Gaius warmly. He smiled for a moment, then forced a frown onto his face. "Good, your room is a pig sty, and I'm not cleaning it for you!" he scolded. Merlin laughed and went to tidy it immediately. "Did anything interesting happen on your trip?" His mentor called after him. Merlin hesitated for just a second.

"No. Saw a few towns, met a few villagers, you know. Nothing out of the ordinary." He called back.

The next few days passed without incident. Merlin kept watching Arthur, wondering if he would say anything about the girl again. He still hadn't told Uther. That in itself was odd, but he had began distancing himself from the king, speaking to him only when asked a direct question, not making eye contact unless absolutely necessary. Every so often, Merlin caught him looking at the man as if seeing him clearly for the first time. Was he still thinking of Aldora's words? Was he wondering how many innocent people his father had sentenced to death? Was he beginning to accept magic? Merlin wasn't sure, but... if he was? He had always imagined that it would be years before Arthur found out about his magic, but if the Prince changed his opinions on the subject, then that day could be just around the corner. He remembered Aldora's words to Arthur; _The day may come when you have to choose between what you have been taught, and what is right. And perhaps sooner than you think. _

They were in Arthur's chambers. It was a week since they had returned, and the Prince had spent most of it in a speculative silence. Merlin was beginning to worry about him. He had barely spoken a word to Merlin since they had returned, so he was taken aback when he turned to him and asked;

"Can it be true, Merlin?" his voice was taught from lack of use, and he cleared his throat sharply. Merlin didn't need to ask what he meant.

"I can't comment, sire-" he began, but Arthur waved a hand.

"I'm not asking you to tell me what to believe, I'm asking you what _you_ believe" he snapped. Merlin sighed, and Arthur shot him an apologetic glance.

"I... I believe that she was right, Arthur. Everything she said. From what I..." but he didn't dare say more, in case Arthur realised that he knew more than he should. Arthur looked at him strangely.

"Go on" he said slowly. Merlin sighed.

"From what I... heard, she sounded like she knew what she was talking about" he improvised.

"Of course she knew what she was talking about, she was a sorceress talking about magic!" he sighed, exasperated. "And that wasn't what you were going to say" he added shrewdly.

"It was!" lied Merlin quickly "And she wasn't a sorceress" he said, trying to distract him. It didn't work.

"You're a terrible liar, Merlin"

"That could be considered a good quality-"

"It is. It means I know when you are lying to me."

"Arthur-"

"Merlin-"

"I'm not lying!"

"You're doing it now!"

"I'm not!"

"Merlin" he growled dangerously. "What were you going to say?"

That was the moment that the warning bell started to ring.

***There you have it. I will be back, I swear, so don't give up on me! R&R, and have a wonderful christmas, one and all.***


	6. Warning

***Ok, I was writing far faster than I imagined, so here is chapter 6, ahead of schedule. Enjoy!***

They sprinted to the court chambers, to find a crowd clustered around the walls, Uther on the raised platform that held his throne. Arthur went to stand at his place next to the king, and Merlin moved to Gaius' side, as the echoes of the bells faded away. He turned to his mentor, a question in his eyes, but the physician was staring at the door, waiting. Merlin turned too.

There was some kind of disturbance outside the double doors. Scuffling noises, punctuated by irritated cries of "Get off me!" and "I _can_ walk!". After a moment, four guards entered, flanking a young woman in chains, with black hair and gold eyes. Merlin shot a startled glance at Arthur, who was staring at the girl in horror. In contrast, Aldora looked perfectly comfortable with her surroundings.

"Nice place" she complimented Uther, whose face was an ugly shade of maroon.

"Sorceress!" he spat at her. She gritted her teeth, and despite himself, Merlin had to hold back a smile.

"Calling me names isn't going to help this situation, is it?" she sighed dramatically. Uther's face reddened further.

"Magic is forbidden in this kingdom!" he hissed at her

"I haven't done any magic in this kingdom" she shot back. "Yet." She added, with a smile.

"You _flew_ over the gates on the back of some monstrous _beast_!" he shrieked. Merlin frowned. Beast?

"Oh." She said, coming up short for a second. "Right. That."

"Yes!" sneered the King. "That."

"But don't call him monstrous, he's a very good friend of mine-"

"SILENCE!"

"I was just saying-"

"Guards!" yelled Uther. One of the guards leaned in to hit her. She reached up at the last second and caught his wrist. The manacles that had been holding her were now nothing more than a pool of molten metal on the floor. She looked down at it.

"Ok, _now_ I've done magic in this kingdom" she muttered to herself. She gently pushed the guard away from her. He staggered back a few steps. She took a step towards the king, and was instantly surrounded by more guards than Merlin could count. She stared at them, and shook her head. "You don't want to do that" she murmured. The guards didn't back down, but they didn't move any closer either. She grinned. "Fine. It's no problem, I'll deliver my message from here."

"Message?" asked Arthur, speaking up for the first time. She turned to him, the hint of a grin on her face, and nodded.

"Yes. You didn't think I came here just for the hospitality did you?" Her grin widened, and then fell. "I've come with a warning."

"You came to threaten us?" jeered Uther. She rolled her eyes at him.

"Hardly. If I had wanted to take over your kingdom, I would not have allowed myself to be captured" she smirked, and turned back to Arthur. "There is an army coming. An army of Nosferatu. Of vampires." Her proclamation was met by a horrified gasp, and Merlin turned to see Gaius, eyes wide with fear, one hand covering his mouth. He had heard of them, then.

"How many?" asked Arthur, thinking tactics.

"Around twenty."

"Twenty?" said the Prince, looking relieved. "Is that all?"

"Sire, I think you underestimate them."

"We have over two hundred guards and knights here" said Arthur, a smile growing on his face.

"And they could all be killed"

"What?"

"A single one of these creatures could massacre an army within a day. It would take less than four of them to fell Camelot." She said desperately. There was silence. No one disbelieved her. Almost no one.

"And why should we trust the word of a sorceress?" sneered Uther. Aldora spun to face him.

"Because, Uther Pendragon, if I wanted you dead, you would be" she snarled. "Because I have seen it happen! Because I have lived it!" she pulled aside the neck of her gown to reveal several dark scars marring her pale skin. "Because I had to watch as my family was slaughtered by the same creatures that attack your kingdom now! Because I still hear their screaming in my nightmares! Because the world is not split into good and magic! Because _you are wrong!_" She hissed, breathing heavily. "I could make swords shatter before they touch my skin! I could make arrows burn before they reach me! And. So. Could. They!"

There was silence. Even Uther looked cowed. Arthur broke the quiet.

"How long before they get here?" he asked carefully. Aldora looked at him sadly.

"Three hours."

***There you have it! Also, please don't hate me for the vampire thing, I promise I'm not going all 'Twilight' on you. (Not that they aren't good books, though) Read and Review!***


	7. Visit

***Ok, it's 11pm and I am updating. _This_ is how much I love you guys. So, enjoy, and reveiw! Thanks***

It was chaos. The castle was preparing for siege, the knights grabbing as many weapons as they could in the few hours left to them. The few hours left to live.

Merlin was panicking. He couldn't let Arthur face the threat alone, but now was hardly the time to tell him how he could help. He had been reduced to fussing around the Prince's chambers, embedding spells of protection and strength into Arthur's armour when he wasn't looking. He was at a loss as to what else he could do. Now, the Prince had gone to discuss strategy with the knights, and Merlin was alone with his fears. Camelot could fall tonight.

Aldora had been locked in one of the spare bedrooms in the castle. Uther had decided to save her trial until after the battle. Assuming there was a kingdom left afterwards. As a gesture of thanks for the warning, she was not chained in the dungeons, but there were still guards outside her room. Merlin could ask her what to do. He grabbed a plate of bread from the table near him, and left the room.

It was only when he was around the corner that he realised he was still holding Arthur's sword. No time to put it back now. He slipped it beneath his jacket, and turned the corner, plate in hand.

"Food for the prisoner" he told the guards nervously. They nodded and gestured for him to go inside. He did so, and closed the door behind him. Aldora was at the window, and she turned stricken eyes on him.

"They're going to fight?" she asked disbelievingly. He nodded. "But they'll get slaughtered!"

"What did you expect?"

"I don't know, but not this!"

"They're knights, it's in their nature." He said sadly, setting the plate down. His hand shook a little. She noticed.

"You're worried about Arthur" she guessed. He nodded again. She sighed. "What's with the sword? You're not fighting too, are you?"

"No." He pulled out the sword. "It's Arthur's." She looked at it, and after a moment, her eyes gleamed with sudden excitement. She held out her hand for the sword, and Merlin shrugged and handed it to her. She took it in both hands, one on the blade, one on the pommel.

"Mucro lumen" she whispered. Her eyes burned gold, and the sword began to glow. After a minute or so it dimmed, but it seemed brighter, shinier than before.

"What did you do?"

"Non-magical weapons don't work on vampires" she reminded him, handing back the sword. His eyes brightened with understanding.

"So now it's a magic sword?"

"It's no Excalibur, but it'll do the job." She said, turning back to the window. Before Merlin could ask what Excalibur was, she yelled to the men outside. "Hey! Leave him alone!" but she was evidently ignored. She sighed, and turned back to Merlin. She must have noted the confusion on his face. "They were annoying my gryphon" she explained.

"You have a gryphon?"

"Yep."

"Ok... that's weird."

"Hey, don't disrespect the gryphon, dragon boy! If you offend the gryphon, you have to apologise to it. And it isn't in a very good mood right now."

"Sorry, sorry. So how are they annoying your gryphon?"

"They're shooting arrows at it."

"Is it ok?"

"Merlin" she said, as if stating the blindingly obvious. "It's a _gryphon_. Of course it's ok." He laughed, but sobered immediately. He glanced out of the window. The sun was setting. There were only two hours left.

"So the sword" he said, pulling himself painfully back to the present. "It can kill the vampires now?"

"Kind of. It will take a lot more work to kill one than it would to kill a human, but they won't be expecting that it can hurt them. I hope your Prince is good at combat."

"He's excellent. But don't tell him I said that."

"I won't." She said. They lapsed into silence again, before Merlin worked up the courage to ask the question whose answer he feared most.

"Are we going to lose?" his voice shook a little. She turned to face him. The look on her face said it all.

"Last time..." she took a deep breath. "Last time, when it happened to... to my family... there was never any hope. We had no warning, no chance to defend ourselves. Even if we could have. My people were powerful, incredibly powerful, but they refused to use their power to harm others." she sighed. "Maybe if they had... but it's over now." She shook her head quickly, as if trying to shake off the memories. "But this is different" she said with conviction.

"Why?"

"Because I know how to fight now."

"You're going to _fight_?" he asked, shocked. He realised that his question mirrored her first, right down to the appalled tone. She looked at him sadly.

"What else can I do?" she sighed. He stared at her. "I have a plan" she told him.

"What is it?"

"Go out and kill as many as possible."

"That's not a very good plan"

"It's simple"

"True, but..." he let the silence speak for him.

"Don't worry. I have a reputation. I'm planning to work it to my advantage."

"How?"

"You'll see."

***Ta-daa! Ok, so I am quite unpredictable in my update habits, so keep an eye on me and see what happens. However, reveiws make me update faster! *Flutters eyelashes* Thankyou for reading!***


	8. Prophecy

***This late night updating is beginning to become a habit... oh well. Here is chapter 8. Chapter 9 is proving a bit tricky to write, so there will be a bit of a gap while I figure out how to do it. Anyway, enjoy, and please review!***

Merlin walked slowly back to Arthur's chambers. He was less reassured than he had been before visiting Aldora, but at least Arthur had a weapon now. It was as much as he could do. As he reached the end of the corridor, a new thought struck him. How was Aldora going to escape the guarded chambers? He shook his head. She would find a way, he knew.

"Merlin" called Arthur, breaking into his thoughts. "Where have you been?"

"Getting your armour" he replied. He handed him the sword, and Arthur examined it. He hoped the Prince wouldn't notice how much brighter the weapon was now.

"Good." He looked up at Merlin's worried face, and nodded, acknowledging his manservant's concern. "It's going to be a long night." He sighed.

One hour left.

The preparations had been made. The weapons had been distributed. Anyone incapable of fighting had been rounded up and herded into the relative safety of the castle. Beds had been set up; ready for the wounded that would undoubtedly surface when the fight started. Silence had settled over the castle. The safety of the kingdom rested on the shoulders of the knights, now more than ever.

Merlin knew that it was impossible to talk Arthur out of fighting. He hadn't wasted his energy trying. He was focussed on thinking. Thinking of spells that could win them the battle, because, despite Uther's beliefs, he knew that magic could only be defeated by stronger magic. Fighting fire with fire. And as the last traces of sunlight disappeared from the sky, staining it deep black, he still had not come up with any ideas. No plans. No flashes of inspiration. He trudged up to Gaius' chambers, wondering what to do. What to _do._ He opened the door to find his mentor, nose buried deep in a thick book. He looked up at Merlin's arrival, and his eyes were filled with the same panic as they had worn in the court chambers.

"Merlin!" he cried. "It's worse than I thought, so much worse..." he gasped. Merlin rushed over.

"What's wrong?" he asked, uneasy. In answer, Gaius gestured to the book. Merlin picked it up, and began to read.

_Vampire, or Nosferatu_

_The Vampire race is well known to myth and legend. Many of the stories surrounding these creatures are fanciful, but there are a few facts that can be gleaned from these tales._

_Vampires feed on human blood._

_The amount of blood taken in by a Vampire affects its strength and power._

_Vampires are far stronger than humans, and a Vampire which has recently ingested blood is likely to have fifty times the strength and speed of a man._

_Vampires cannot be harmed with mortal weapons._

_Vampires practice magic known as Cruor Nex, which saps the energy of the recipient, unlike sorcerous magic, which draws on the energy of the user._

_Though many tales teach of deterrents to Vampires such as silver, garlic, or crucifixes, these objects are of no use in the event of an attack. The only possible distraction to a hunting Vampire is fresh blood, which will divert its attention long enough to allow a victim to escape._

Merlin looked up, eyes wide. Gaius was slumped in a chair by the fire, gazing into the flames. Merlin looked back at the book, running his hand over the feather light page. He sighed, causing the pages to flutter, and as he did so, he saw something written on the next page which caught his eye. He turned to it, and read the small paragraph printed there.

_Vampires may only be destroyed through magical means, and only extremely powerful enchantments may bind them. This said, they are creatures of dark magic, and so can be slain with the enemy of darkness. For as there must be balance in the world, each side has its opposite, and each is deadly to the other. An old prophecy tells of the one who will challenge the darkness, who works with a powerful warlock to banish the second vampire horde ever known. The pair are only known by one name. _

_Veneficus._

Merlin gaped at the page in shock. It all made sense. All of it. The one who will challenge the darkness.

"_Do you hope to challenge me?"_

"_No, he does not. But I do."_

The second vampire horde.

"_Because I had to watch as my family was slaughtered by the same creatures that attack your kingdom now!"_

And _Veneficus_.

"_Veneficus are the top rank. Creatures like me, along with dragons and Dragon Lords are Veneficus."_

And as he processed this, a slow, resigned smile spread across his face. Because a prophecy was just another destiny. And if Merlin knew one thing about destiny, it was that you couldn't run away from it.

***Read and review if you like it! Or if you don't like it, constructive criticism is always welcome! Thankyou!***


	9. Reputation

***Hi again! Just thought I should answer one or two reveiws. You have all been so kind in your feedback, thankyou so much! I love you all.**

**Ichigo'sDragon asked if Aldora was more powerful than a Dragon Lord; I don't think of her as more powerful than Merlin, but the difference is that Aldora knows the extent of her magic, whereas Merlin has only just scratched the surface of his power. Aldora has had to use her powers to survive on her own for years, and Merlin has just begun to experiment. Thank you for reveiwing! (Also, don't worry. I guarantee you a battle!)**

**Lilyplusjamesistotallove asked what pairings there will be; umm, not really completely sure, I haven't really focussed on the romance side of things... maybe a few mentions of Arthur/Gwen?**

**And thanks to Alina Storm for the recent reveiw on chapter 8, it was a pleasure to read, and I don't mind rants!**

**A big thank you also to Shona McEvoy for sticking by my writing and giving me the motivation to continue ;)**

**Thanks again to everyone who reveiwed, you are all my favourite people in the world! So here is chapter 9, as an early christmas present. I won't be able to update again now until after the holidays, but please keep reveiwing! I will be back soon!***

It was time. Arthur and his knights were positioned outside the castle gates, ready to face the approaching threat. Merlin had sneaked out too, and now stood hidden in darkness, further along the surrounding wall. Everyone waited, watching the shadows moving, imagining terrors shrouded in the night. No one dared to move.

Something shifted in the darkness just beyond the circle of light cast by their torches. A faint disturbance, like a gentle breeze. And then... they came.

They melted from the shadows as if they were cut from the same cloth as the night surrounding them, to stand a few feet from the men ready to fight. To Merlin's surprise, they seemed... normal. Nothing about them separated them from any of the people inside the castle walls. Except for their golden eyes. Looking closely, it was possible to see malice in the slight smiles on their lips, or hunger and bloodlust hiding deep in their eyes.

A high pitched whistle sounded over the silence. Merlin looked up, along with the knights and the vampires, to see a dark figure hurl itself out of one of the top windows of the castle. For a horrifying moment, it began to drop towards the ground, but then a larger figure caught it, huge wings beating the air in order to stay aloft. It spun in the air with a birdlike grace, and began to speed towards the site of the oncoming battle. As it came closer, it was possible to make out the features of a majestic gryphon. The figure astride it was, of course, Aldora.

The gryphon came to a gradual halt, hovering several feet off of the ground. Aldora leaped from its back, and landed, catlike, on the ground below. The beast rose up, and began to fly in wide circles over the potential battlefield. Aldora straightened. She had landed in the no-man's-land between the vampires and the knights. She gave a small bow to the latter, before turning to face the aggressors. She took a deep breath, and began to speak in a low, commanding voice.

"You know who I am. You know how many of your kin have been destroyed at my hand" she said. She spoke calmly, but her words echoed through the silent night as if she had shouted. "You know that I can destroy each and every one of you. I am the one whose name strikes fear into your hearts. I am the one who has survived, time and time again, against the odds. And if this becomes a fight to the death, I assure you that I will survive again. And you will not. So I offer you a choice. Leave now, while you still can. Or die."

She stared into the golden eyes of each and every vampire there. After a moment, one of them lost its nerve, and turned tail, sprinting back towards the forest. Several more followed it. A few looked around at their dwindling number, and ran too. Eventually, less than half were left. But still far too many.

"I commend your bravery" said Aldora to the remaining few. "But I denigrate your stupidity. You should have run while you had the chance" She took a step back, slipping in amongst the knights, who looked shocked, but relaxed slightly when the Prince did not object. Arthur stared at her. She grinned. "What?" she whispered. "Did I ruin the fun?" He just shook his head disbelievingly.

And then the vampires charged. The knights ran forwards, yelling unintelligible battle cries, swords held high.

***Sorry to leave you on a cliffhanger, guys! Enjoy the holidays!***


	10. Battle

***Hi guys! I'm back! Thankyou all for being so patient and understanding, and for your lovely comments! Speaking of, I have been thinking about what thebeautifulbicky asked, and I think it is a great idea, so the next chapter will be made up of a flashback or two from Aldora's POV. Thankyou all for the feedback! Here is the long awaited chapter 10!**

The fighting was brutal. Arthur watched his men leap into the fray with pride, and hastened to join them. On all sides, there was the sound of tearing metal, and several swords splintered or melted. His own sword was one of the few that stayed intact.

There was no time to think, as he was thrown into battle mode. Nothing mattered but the enemy in front, and the sword writhing in his hands. Flashes of light flew past him, and the small part of his mind not focussed on the battle realised that they must have been of Aldora's creation. But there were no more coherent thoughts, because his world had blurred into a whirl of thrusts, blocks, parries and lunges. The enemy had no weapons themselves, except for their crushing hands and bared teeth. He dodged as many blows as he could, but they were so_ fast!_ He ducked out of the way of a pair of snapping jaws, only to be thrown backwards, hitting the castle wall with an incredible force. He struggled back up, and pushed his way back into the fray, slashing and cutting.

A vampire started towards him, and he instinctively thrust forwards with his sword. The creature began to laugh as the sword came towards it, but the look on its face changed to one of panic and pain when the sword drove home. It had not even tried to dodge his blow. It doubled over as the sword cut through its torso, but staggered upright again as he withdrew the weapon. It stared at the wound in its chest for a moment, bemused. Then it looked up, and threw itself onto him in a blind rage. Arthur worked efficiently, hacking and chopping until the creature crumpled to the ground, hissing madly.

Merlin watched in horror as the fight unfolded. He shot spells at the vampires as often as he could, hoping that the knights would be too engrossed in fighting to notice. Arthur was thrown backwards almost immediately, but he staggered back into the fray, his sword slashing. The other knights weren't so lucky. He watched as a young man swung his sword towards a dark haired female vampire. The sword made no impact on her flesh, and, with an eerie screeching sound, it disintegrated. The knight froze in shock, just long enough for the woman to clasp one hand around each side of his face, as if she were about to kiss him. Then she jerked her hands sharply, and a sickening crack reverberated around the courtyard. The young knight slid to the ground, unmoving. The vampires had claimed their first victim.

Aldora flung her hands out in the direction of the killer. A shard of crimson light flew from her palms, and speared her, slicing open her flesh far more effectively than the dead man's sword. The woman howled and leaped towards her, throwing knights aside. Aldora met her challenge with a growl, laced with anticipation. She was sick and tired of being careful all the time. She craved the fight. Vengeance for her family.

***Sorry it's so short, I wanted to update ASAP and with my new ideas there wasn't a better place to cut it without rewriting the whole thing :-S***


	11. Aldora

***Ok, so this is a little bit on Aldora's past. All the bits in italics are flashbacks, but if it is confusing, please let me know, and I will change it. This chapter is for thebeautifulbicky, who gave me the idea in the first place! Thanks everyone!***

_Aldora sat gazing out of the small window that let sunlight fill her room in the daytime. It was dark, now, with shadows flickering in the corners, but she didn't mind. The dark did not trouble her, like it did her little brother, Faolan. He hated being called her _little_ brother. She was only a year older than him._

The vampire flew at her, and she spun around in a blur, causing it to careen past her. It regained its stance, and reached clawed hands towards her neck. She twisted to avoid them, and used her foot to kick out the backs of its knees, knocking its feet out from under it.

_Aldora's eyes were drawn to another shadow, outside the window, different to the others. It was too still, where the others swayed with the branches of the trees. It didn't behave like normal shadows did. And there was something else about it, too. Something that brushed against some deep part of her consciousness, warning her of... she didn't know._

Her opponent lost its balance and tumbled to the ground, but caught itself with its arms, flipping over and delivering a kick to her chest. She buckled, but managed somehow to shove it away from her and into the wall, where it left a large, vampire shaped, crater.

_She tiptoed outside, trying to get closer, leaving behind of the protection of her home. The shadow was just past the treeline. She was still quite a long way away from it when it moved. Towards her. It was moving slowly, trying not to attract her attention. She had seen that kind of movement before. It was how a wolf moved, before it pounced on a deer. She began to back away._

It was not beaten. It pushed itself up, leaping towards her yet again. She dodged, but was not fast enough to completely avoid the blow. A line of fire raced up her arm, and she began to bleed. Eight pairs of bloodthirsty golden eyes turned towards her.

_She managed to reach the house, and slammed the door behind her, tears streaming down her face. Her mother rushed over, slipping a comforting arm around her shoulders. She pointed to the door, unable to speak clearly._

"_The shadow – the shadow was – was..." she couldn't finish. But she had to warn them! Why couldn't she speak? Why couldn't she _breathe_? Her father walked towards her, worried. He paused in front of the door, and coked his head slightly, as if he had heard something. There was a crunching noise, and the door was ripped from the wall. Her father was pulled into the night, and there was a sudden, unmistakable, heart wrenching snap. _

Aldora backed away from the sudden wall of snapping jaws and crushing hands, cursing. She frantically tried to heal her arm, but she knew it was too late. The damage was done. She growled, annoyed at herself for backing down, and forced her feet to stop moving. She raised her chin in defiance, and opened her arms, inviting them to take their best shot. None of them moved, expecting her to run or beg for mercy. A grim smile twisted her face, and she closed her eyes for a fraction of a second. One of the vampires tried to take advantage of her distraction, and bounded forwards.

"Vindico Aduro!" she shouted. The vampire screeched, and exploded into burning flames. After a second, only his ashes were left, floating to the ground. Aldora staggered back, suddenly exhausted. The spell had sapped a lot of her energy. She tried to stand tall, so that the vampires would think she could roast any one of them. So they didn't realise how much that last spell had cost her.

_Her mother screamed as a pale figure appeared in the doorway. It rushed towards them, and Aldora screamed too. Her mother pushed her in the direction of the other door, screaming at her to run away. She started to go, but her mother's next scream stopped her cold._

"_Faolan!"_

_Her little brother stood outside his bedroom, staring in shock at the scene before him. Aldora grabbed his arm, and together they ran, but not before they heard their mother's last, petrified shriek, cut off by a gruesome, horrifying ripping noise._

No one moved. She took advantage of the vampires fear by glancing around at the battlefield. Very few knights were still standing, and many more were dead, but no blood had been spilled. She realised that it was intentional. Bleeding bodies would be too much of a distraction from the fight. She noticed Arthur, leaning on a wall, breathing heavily, staring at her. Behind him, Merlin still hid in the shadows. They locked eyes, and she knew that he was the only one there who understood the price she had just paid. _I can't do this one alone, Emrys._ She told him. It hurt to admit it but she knew it was true. His eyes widened for a moment, and he glanced at Arthur. She sighed. _Your choice._

_Aldora pulled Faolan around the edge of the village. Screams ruled the night. The vampires were in every home, ripping, tearing. She reached the trees, and they both ran faster than they ever had, putting as much distance as possible between them and their home. They finally reached a clearing, and collapsed into the ground, crying. Faolan let out a gasp of pain, and lifted his hand to his eyes. There was a large pine needle partway embedded in his hand. Aldora gently took his wrist, and pulled it out quickly for him. It left a small cut in his palm, but he smiled at his sister through his tears. A drop of glistening blood oozed from the cut and splashed onto the leaves below. _

_A short while later, they heard a whispering noise, as if someone was running through the forest in their direction. They took one glance at each other, and began to run again. They weren't fast enough. Their pursuer was gaining ground, and would catch them soon. Faolan knew it. He glanced once more at his sister's face. Then he turned and ran in the opposite direction. Towards the hunter._

"_NO!" Gasped Aldora. But she was too late. Faolan had sacrificed himself to buy her time to escape. Her little brother was dead. And she was completely alone._

***Yes, it's depressing. Sorry about that. But I think it explains why Aldora is not really a cheerful person... If the alternating between past and present is confusing anyone, **_**please**_** tell me, because I would rather know! Anyway, back to the actual storyline... R&R! See you soon!***


	12. Finale

***Final Chapter! Sorry for the looooong wait, I got attacked by writers block, and then coursework, in quick succesion. But anyway, you didn't come here to read about me! You want to find out what Merlin is gonna do! Well, read on to find out!***

Merlin stared at the girl surrounded by vampires. Her words echoed in his head. _The day may come when you have to choose between what you have been taught, and what is right. And perhaps sooner than you think. _It was time, then. His hands shook slightly as he wondered how the Prince would react, then he smiled at himself as he realised that he thought of Arthur as a bigger problem than the vampire horde. The smile faded from his face instantly. _This_ was destiny. _His_ destiny. He just had to work up the courage to face it.

Arthur breathed slowly, trying to be silent. He could feel the aftershock of magic in the air. Like a static tingle, only... more. He could taste it. Life and death, fire and ice. Sheer power. In that moment, he realised what Aldora had been trying to tell him. Magic was a force of nature, the force that caused flames to burn and winds to blow, that made the tides rise and fall and compelled plants to grow up to the sunlight. It was pure and raw, light and dark, night and day. But neither good nor evil. And he understood, finally, that his father was wrong. Utterly, completely wrong.

A movement from behind him interrupted his train of thought. He twisted around to find... Merlin, stepping out of the shadows around the castle walls.

"Merlin!" he hissed. His manservant spared him a glance before moving past him, towards the crowd of Nosferatu. Arthur grabbed his arm. "What do you think you are doing?"

Merlin shot him a look. He was wearing an odd expression; half trepidation, half excitement. He no longer looked like the manservant. He looked confident, sure of himself. He looked like a knight. He met Arthur's eyes and smiled sheepishly, before pulling his arm away, and going to stand by Aldora. She grinned at him.

"Good choice!" she said. Merlin nodded, and glanced back at the Prince, who was staring at them both, dumbfounded.

"Sorry" he said, sincerely, and turned back to the vampires. Arthur stared. What was going on? His confusion only increased when Merlin raised his arms, taking a deep breath and directing his palms towards the vampire horde. Next to him, Aldora did the same.

"Merlin?" Arthur was worried now. "Merlin, what are you..." he trailed off. Whatever it was, it couldn't be good, and he wasn't sure he wanted to know. His manservant didn't answer, or even look at him. What was going on?

"Ready?" asked Aldora. Merlin stared forward determinately and nodded.

"You cannot defeat us!" cried a dark skinned woman in the throng of vampires. It was the first time one of them had spoken since they had arrived. She stepped forwards with a smirk on her lips, eyes fixed on Aldora's bleeding arm. "We are the cats, and you are nothing more than mice."

"Oh really?" asked Aldora in a whisper that was heard easily through the silence. "Well let me tell you something. This mouse has just made friends with a dragon." She shot a glance at Merlin, who's mouth twitched into a smile. She turned back to the predators. "And he is not happy."

She took a deep breath, as did Merlin, and together they shouted, eyes burning gold.

"_Casso_ _Vox, Pello Domo!_"

And the world shattered into bright light and chaos.

Everyone had been thrown back by the power of the spell. When the dust had settled enough for Merlin to realise it was ash, a large shape landed on the battle field. Aldora, lying a short distance away, staggered to her feet and moved towards it. It was the gryphon. Coughing, she rested her hand on its neck to support herself, and turned to him. She was weakened, he could tell. He pushed himself up from the ground, looking around at the scene. The vampires were gone. The uninjured knights had been knocked unconscious, Arthur among them. He was close enough to see the rise and fall of the young Prince's chest. He sighed in relief.

"Merlin!"

He turned to Aldora.

"Hmm?"

She glanced at the Prince, and then at the castle walls. They looked like a prison now, with the sky dark with ash and smoke.

"Do you want to stay?" She asked, looking at him.

He looked at the walls too, and around at the destruction surrounding them. His brows knitted together as he thought.

"Arthur is safe for now" sighed the girl "but it is only a matter of time before someone else comes for him. Of course, now he knows about you, protecting him is going to be difficult." A sad smile quirked her mouth. "But if you need somewhere to hide, you can always come to _Silva._ It worked for the others." she continued to look at him. When he stayed silent, she smirked and said "I would tell you staying is insane, but you know that. It never stopped you before."

This earned her a small smile. Eventually, the warlock turned to her and shook his head.

"I have to stay."

She nodded.

"We'll meet again, Emris. Don't doubt it." She turned and jumped lightly onto the gryphon's back.

"Aldora?"

"Yes?"

"What will you do now?"

She gave a grim smile, and stared into the sky.

"Survive, hopefully. I'm going after Damien."

"Who is Damien?" he asked curiously.

She looked down at him, considering.

"Next time." She grinned.

And with that, the majestic gryphon spread its wings, and took off, flying high into the air, and disappearing beyond the horizon. Merlin watched it go, and then sighed, and went to sit beside Arthur, waiting for him to wake up.

Night and day.

Dark and light.

Blood and bone.

_Cruor Nex_ and_ Veneficus._

We destroy your power and banish you from our home.

**The end...?**


	13. Words and Phrases

Just in case you were interested...

A lot of the words I used are Latin. These are the translations...

Magus – 'Mage' or 'Magical'

Bellua – 'Beast'

Alia – 'Other' or 'Different'

Sapio – 'Knowing' or 'Knowledge'

Teneo – 'Endure' or 'Persevere'

Veneficus – 'Magical' or 'Venomous'

Cruor – 'Blood'

Nex – 'Slaughter'

Silva – 'Forest'

Mucro – 'Sword'

Lumen – 'Clarity' or 'Daylight'

Vindico – 'Liberate' or 'Avenge'

Aduro – 'Burning'

Casso – 'Destroy' or 'Cancel out'

Vox – 'Power' or 'Authority'

Pello – 'Exile'

Domo – 'From home'

Also, I researched the meanings behind the names I chose;

Aldora – Gifted with wings

Faolan – Young wolf

Get me, I'm being all deep and meaningful!

I really hope you enjoyed this fic, and keep your eyes open for a sequel (Maybe)!


	14. URGENT NEWS!

Hello again! Just a little note to those of you who didn't see it on my profile; There shall be a sequel! I am in the planning stages at the moment, so nothing is written down, but I have names and plotlines! I am going to try to make the main story a 4-parter, with a companion fic on Aldora.

Names:

1. The Forest Of Silva

2. Winds Of Change

3. The Waters Of Avalon

4. Trial By Fire

And, should it ever happen, the companion fic, (which will probably be a one-shot) will be entitled Rogue Spirit.

As I said, everything is planned out and almost ready to write, but you will need to bear with me, as I am starting 6th form in a few weeks, so I will need to balance homework, revision, and fanfiction. I know which I would prefer to be doing, but unfortunately it will not help me pass my A-levels, so school stuff will have to come first.

I'm not sure exactly when I will publish Winds Of Change, but I know I would like a decent head start on it for once! Hopefully the first chapter will be up before the end of the holidays, but don't hold me to that.

Finally, I just want to thank you all for reading and putting up with my totally random updates and sugar-induced authors notes. I love you all!

_TrueKelpa_


End file.
